At the Helm: July 31 Morning Briefing

I had begun to forget we were actually in England. All the sun and warm weather had me utterly confused. But, thankfully, a return to normalcy has occurred. This morning the clouds are just about at roof top level, it’s cold, windy and raining. Awesome!

It is 6:30 in the morning, and I’m sitting here on the second floor of Camp Billingham. The only other person here at this hour is team meteorologist Doug Charko. He’s been here a while, looking at the weather models and getting his forecast ready for the team. The quiet of the early morning is my favorite time of day. It is serene, and a great opportunity to just breathe, gather thoughts and prepare for the activity of the day. And there is a lot of activity to prepare for.

Today is Day 3 of the 2012 Olympic Games, and we have a full racing schedule today. Stars, Finns, Elliotts, 49ers, Lasers and Radials all continue their racing today, and the RSX classes begin theirs. 8 of the 10 Olympic events are racing today. That’s as crowded a day as we will have at these Games.

I won’t regurgitate the results of yesterday’s racing, but you can get the details in Dana’s Daily Report. Overall, though, it was a good day for Team USA. We had strong days in the Star, Radial and 49er, and in Elliotts we are right in the middle of the mix. Our match racing girls are doing great. Really good day for Team USA.

After racing was over last night we had a great event at Camp Billingham. We invited all our friends, family, sponsors and donors who are in town to a cocktail party at team headquarters. We had about 60 people here for some drinks and appetizers, and it was a wonderful gathering of people who have been so supportive of our athletes. Everyone loved checking out our space, and it was great way for us to welcome our friends and say “thank you” for everything they have done for us.

There is tons of racing left here at these Games. Nothing has been decided, everything can change, and we need to stay focused. It is a long event, a test of stamina for sure.

And while my friends on Team USA and I are pretty focused on things here, life goes on at home, and I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to my lifelong friend Josh Levine. Have a great day, Josh.